Apparatus for separating materials of varying degrees of conductivity



Dec. 3, 1929, R, SHERER 1,738,399

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS OF VARYING DEGREES OF CONDUCTIVITY Filed July 12, 1928 k, S i/w Jaw:

WITNESSES l/W/EN 70/2 W2 5y aria/ w? Aha/Jr? A TTOPNE Y l atented fies. 3, 1929 irs, s'rA mans OF F 16E RALPH SEE-REE, 0F MESA, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOB 0F ONE-HALF T0 CECIL R. JONES, 0F

PHOENIX, ARIZONA.

AJEPARATU$ FOR SEPAll-ATIITG MATERIALS OF VARYING DEGREES OF CONDUCTIVITY Application filed July 1%,

This invention relates to an apparatus for separating materials of varying degrees of conductivity in accordance with the process set forth in my cmpcnding application, Serial No. 292,110, filed on the 12th day of July, 1928.

The object'of the invention is to provide a separating apparatus comprising a pair of spaced electrodes, over which materials having varying degrees of conductivity or, and, fusibility are fed; certain of the material completing an electric circuit, by its presence between said electrodes, the completion of said circuit causing such flow of current through said material as to bring about the fusing of the same. More specifically, the invention resides in utilizing two electrodes, one of which travels without changing its distance from the other electrode, the fused mas terial adhering to said travelling electrode and bein carried away from the gap by the movement ofsaid electrode, so that the process is rendered a continuous one.

It is a further object of the invention to provide apparatus for carrying out the process of separating, as above set forth, in con, junction with means for automatically interrupting the current flow as the fused material moves away from the gap at which it was fused, to thereby prevent the formation of an electric are, as said fused material moves away from the fixed electrode.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the separating apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a current regulating and controlling device used in conjunction with Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a'detail view, upon a larger scale, of a parto f the mechanism of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the rollers, and associated parts, of Fig. 1.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Rollers A. are disposed upon opposite sides of, and in close proximity to, a stationary 192s. Serial No. 292,111.

separating plate B, of inverted V-shape. These rollers and the separating plate are made of any suitable metal to constitute them conductors of electricity. Troughs G are provided with scraping edges 0, which lie in contact with the outer sides of the rollers A. The rollers A are journaled in bearings D, said bearings being supported upon the inclined upper side of a frame E. A transverse shaft J, driven by belt M, is mounted in bearings K, and carries bevel pinions H, which mesh with bevel pinions L, upon the ends of the shafts C, of the rollers A. This mechanism serves to rotate the rollers in the directions indicated by the arrows a. The stationary separating plate B rests upon plates of insulating material Z. The troughs C are carried by rods' 7, which are adjustable toward and from the rollers, as shown at F. The current controlling and regulating mechanism comprises a solenoid magnet T, the ends of the winding of which are indicated at X and W. This winding is wound about the hollow tube T, in which the core S, of the solenoid, moves. A wire V is connected to this core and extends to a source of current supply. The terminal X of the solenoid magnet also extends to the source of supply of the current. The core of the solenoid mag net carries a carbon contact point R, which co-acts with contact point Q, on support O. This support is adjustable upon a panel H, as indicated at P. A wire, or conductor Y, leads from the contact point Q to the fixed plate B. Thus, the circuit is as follows:

From the source of supply through wire V to core S; thence through contact points It and Q, when these are in engagement with each other, through wire Y to separating plate B. hen the gap between a longitudinal edge of B, and either of the rollers A, is bridged by a particle or particles of metal, the circuit will be completed through 1 the said roller, wire W, the solenoid winding and wire X, back to the source of current supply. The com letion of this circuit through the particles 0 metal to be separated brings about such fusing of the metal as will cause it to adhere to the roller A. The metal then travels around with the roller A, until it is scraped ofi by the corresponding scraper 0 and deposited in the corresponding long trough C. It will be understood that the strength. of the current employed will be such as to fuse the particular metal that it is desired to separate, and the current controlling and regulating device of Fig. 2 is designed to render it possible to vary the strength of the current, as may be 'needful.

As has been stated, the rollers A are dis osed upon an angle. This, coupled with the act that they continuously rotate in the direction of the arrows (1, brings about a constant lifting and rotatin' of the ore which is fed upon the rollers at t e upper end thereof; the gangue being discharged from the lower ends of said rollers. If, for example, gold bearing placer gravel, or other gravel bearing gold articles, is deposited upon the upper ends of the rollers and fed downwardly thereover, the gravel being a non-conductor of electricity, or of high resistance, passes over the rollers without being afi'ected. The constant lifting and agitation of the gravel, as it feeds slowly downward over the rollers, causes the relatively heavy metal content, or the metal bearing content thereof, to seek the lowest oint of the mass, which is point Where t e longitudinal edges of the separating plate B lie closest to the rollers A. When either of the gaps to is bridged by a conductive particle of metal, a fusing of the metal takes place, as above described.

It will be apparent that since the winding of the solenoid is in series with the fusing circuit, the solenoid will be energized when the circuit is completed. The energizing of the solenoid causes the contact R to be lifted,

thus breaking the fusing circuit. Consequently, when the fused particle is carried away from the gap :0, the are that would otherwise occur is prevented. As soon as the fused particle moves away from the gap, the solenoid is de-energized and the core R drops, so that when additional metallic particles come into the gaps as, they will again complete a circuit to bring about the fusing thereof upon the carrier electrodes, or rollare A.

Since the contact point "i is adjustable, with respect to contact point it follows that the amperage of the current may be varied in accordance with the different sizes, conditions and natures of the metallic particles to be extracted. It is clear that many mechanical appliances can be devised, by those skilled in the art, that will do the work proposed to be done by this apparatus. @011- sequently, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown in the drawing, but that it includes, within its purview, all reasonable modifications thereof, coming within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims. Furthermore, while the bulk of the valuable content of the ore will usually be found to be in particles so small as to he fusible, it will sometimes be the case that nuggets of considerable size will constitute the circuit completing elements. In such case, these nuggets may notbe fused, and it will become desirable to remove them by hand. In order to apprise the operator when this condition exists, I may include, in the electric circuit, an electric signal, such as a bell Z. While this bell will sound. at any time that the circuit is completed, it will usually ring only momentarily, or until the metallic particle is fused. When a nugget of considerable size completes the circuit, the operator will be apprised of that fact by the ringing of the bell through a much longer period, and he will then seek and remove the nugget.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. Separating apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of spaced electrodes, an electric circuit in which said elec trodes are included, and. means for feeding material of varying degrees of conductivity over said electrodes, the said electric circuit being completed by the deposit of conductive material between the electrodes from said material, and electrically actuated means included in said circuit for breaking the circuit at another point, upon its completion at the 9 electrodes.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of spaced electrodes, one of which travels, an electric circuit in which said electrodes are included and means for feeding material of varying degrees of conductivity over said electrodes, the said electriccircuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material between the electrodes, and an electrically controlled circuit breaker in said circuit for interrupting the same upon the completion of said circuit, at the electrodes.

3. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of elongated electrodes having parallel confronting surfaces, an electric circuit in which said electrodes are included, and means for supporting said electrodes at an angle to the horizontal to cause material of varying degrees of conductivity ted to said electrodes to travel longitudinally over said elongated electrodes, the electric circuit being completed. by the deposit of a conductive content of said .u'iateriai between the confronting surfaces of said electrodes.

l. Apparatus oi the character described, coi'nprising a pair of elongated electrodes having parallel confronting surfaces, an electric circuit in which said electrodes are included, and means for feeding; material of varying degrees of conductivity longitudinally over said elognated electrodes, the electric circuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material between trodes, and means for causing metal bearing ores to travel in one direction lengthwise over said electrodes.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of longitudinally extending elongated electrodes having parallel confronting faces, one of said electrodes being in the form of a circular r'oll, means for rotating said roll, an electric circuit in which said electrodes are included, said circuit being completed by the deposit of conductive material, between the confronting surfaces of said electrodes, means for causing-metal bearing ores to travel in one direction over said electrodes, and means for removing fused metals from said roll.

7. Apparatus of the character described, comprising longitudinally extending electrodes having parallel confronting surfaces, one of which travels without changing its distance from the other, an electric circuit in which said electrodes are included, and means for feeding material of varying degrees of conductivity longitudinally over said longitudinally extending electrodes, the electric circuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material, and means for removing fused metals from said travelling electrode.

8. A separating apparatus of the'character described, compri ing an elongated plate of inverted Vshape, I onstituting one of the electrodes of an electric circuit, and a pair of longitudinally extending rollers mounted for rotation upon opposite sides of said plate and in close proximity thereto, said rollers constituting the other electrode of said circuit, means for rotating said rollers, and an electric circuit in which said electrodes are in cluded, said electric circuit being completed by the deposit of material between them.

9. A separating apparatus of the character described, comprising an elongated plate of inverted V-shape, constituting one of the electrodes of an electric circuit, and a pair of longitudinally extending rollers mounted for rotation upon opposite sides of said plate and in close proximity thereto, said rollers constituting the other electrode of said circuit, means for rotating said rollers, an electric circuit in which said electrodes are included,

said electric circuitibeing completed by the" rollers, one upon each side of said plate and mounted for rotation in close proximity thereto but lying in parallelism therewith, means for supporting the plate and rollers at an incline so that ore fed upon said rollers will be caused to travel longitudinally therealong while being continuously agitated by the rotation of the rollers, an electric circuit in which the rollers, upon the one hand, and fixed plate upon the other hand, constitute spaced electrodes, the said circuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material between them.

11. A device of the character described, comprising a plate of inverted V-shape constituting a fixed electrode, and a pair of rollers, one upon each side of said plate and mounted for rotation in close proximity thereto but lying in parallelism therewith, means for supporting the plate and rollers at an incline so that ore fed upon said rollers will be causedto travel longitudinally therealong while being continuously agitated by the rotation of the rollers, an electric circuit inwhich the rollers, upon the one hand, and fixed plate upon the other hand, constitute spaced electrodes, the said circuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material between them, and an electric circuit breaker included in said circuit and operative by the completion of the circuit at the electrodes to break the circuit at an, other point until the movement of the rollers carries the fused metal particles away from the gap between the said electrodes.

12. Adevice of the character described, comprising a plate of inverted V-shape constituting a fixed electrode, and a pair of rollers, one upon each side of said plate and mounted for rotation in close proximity thereto but lying in parallelism therewith, means for supporting the plate and rollers at an incline so that ore fedupon said rollers will be caused to travel longitudinally therealong while being continuously agitated by the rotation of the rollers, an electric circuit in which the rollers, upon the one hand, and fixed plate upon the other hand, constitute spaced electrodes, the said circuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material between them, and means for varying the strength of the current in said circuit.

13. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of elongated electrodes having parallel confronting surfaces, an elec tric circuit in which said electrodes are included, means for supporting said electrodes at an angle to the horizontal to cause material of varying degrees of conductivity fed to said electrodes to travel longitudinally over said elongated electrodes, the electric circuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material between the confronting surfaces of said electrodes, and means for varying the strength of the current in said circuit to accommodate materials of varying degrees of conductivity or fusibilityl 14;. Apparatus of the character described, comprising longitudinally extending electrod-es having parallel confronting surfaces, one of which travels without changing its distance from the other, an electric circuit in which said electrodes are included, and means for feeding material of varying degrees of conductivity longitudinally over said longitudinally extending electrodes, the electric circuit being completed by the deposit of a conductive content of said material, and a circuit controlling and regulating device included in series in said circuit, comprising a solenoid magnet, a movable contact point and a fixed contact point, the latter contact ,points being included In the circuit so that when the solenoid is energized said contact points will be separated to interrupt the circuit.

15. Separating apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of spaced electrodes, an electric circuit in Which said electrodes are included, and means for feeding material of varying degrees of conductivity over said electrodes, and an electric signalling nueans included in said circuit.

In testimony whereof he aliixes his signature.

RALPH SHERER.

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